In the romantic comedy "(500) Days of Summer" Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as hopelessly romantic greeting-card writer Tom who embarks on an ill-fated love affair with cynical Summer (Zooey Deschanel), a woman who doesn't believe true love exists. The film doesn't open until July 17, but we've nabbed an interview with JGL, in which we asked him to dish on his own thoughts about rom coms and heartbreak [insert "awwww" here].

The actor told MTV that his favorite romantic comedies, like "Swingers" and "Amelie," combine humor and honest emotion — something he strived for in "Days." "When I first sat down with Marc Webb [the director] we had a profound conversation about love and heartbreak," the actor explains. "The movie finds humor in these things but doesn’t dismiss it. I’ve been heartbroken before and I’ve been in love. And these are not silly shallow things. These are feelings that rock your very life. We wanted to make a movie that while it was funny and entertaining to watch, didn’t dismiss how real and strong those feelings can be."

So how does Joseph mend his broken heart after a breakup? Blasting a good tune always helps. "Songs from Elliott Smith or Billie Holliday or the Beatles that are sad are lovely to listen to because they make you feel," he says. "['Days'] has both sides. It’s got those moments where you feel like you’re on top of the world and you’re dancing to Hall and Oates. And it's got those moments where you don’t even want to get out of bed."

Are you jazzed to see "(500) Days of Summer" now that you know JGL is in touch with his sensitive side?